Dry cleaning apparatus



Oct. 8, 1935. J. M CREERY DRY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INIILN'I'OR. Jzssa M. CR EERY J. MCCREERY 2,016,552

DRY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 13, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 8, 1935.

INI'ENTOR. Jzasa- M Cmzarw Oct. 8, 1935. J. MCCREERY DRY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet s v "p",""""""" I I INI/ENTOR. Jassa M CREERY ATTORNEY. A

Oct, 8, 1935.

J. MCCREERY 2,016,552

RY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 13. 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Jzssa NPQREERY Patented Oct. 8, 1935.

PATENT OFFIICE our CLEANING APPARATUS Jesse McGreery, Omaha. Nebr.

Application June is, 1934, Serial No. 730,399

, 6 claims (01.68-38) My invention relates to apparatus for dry cleaning, or the cleansing of fabrics and the like by the use of volatile non-aqueous solvents. It is the object of my invention to provide apparatus especially suited for use with .solvents which are relatively expensive, so that complete conservation thereof is economically important, or for solvents which might be especially harmful, dangerous or disagreeable ifappreciable quantities thereof should be permitted to vaporize and mingle with the air so as to be inhaled by operators of the cleaning apparatus. More particularly, it is the object of my invention to provide a dry cleaning apparatus wherein the material or articles to be cleaned may be placed w thin a' securely closed container, and therein subjected to every operation required for the cleansing thereof, including the washing of the articles with the solvent, the draining of the solvent therefrom, rewashing or rinsing, extracting of liquid solvent from. the material, drying by the removal as vapor of the residual portions of the solvent in the material, tumbling of the material to loosen and A expand the same and to facilitate the final purifycharacterized by the use of a casing or housing. which is mounted to swing about a horizontal trunnion-axis from a horizontal to a vertical position, whereby to dispose in corresponding horizontal and vertical positions an inclosed perforate cylinder or container for the articles to be cleaned, and wherein the washing, rinsing, draining, extracting, tumbling, and defuming or aerating of the articles is eiiected without removal of the same from the cylinder until the completion of the several operations. My apparatus is further characterized by the use within the main casing or housing of a jack inolosing a space through which may be circulated a'fluid medium for controlling the temperature within the housing, either heating the same to facilitate the vaporization of the solvent, or cooling the same to effect" condensation of solvent-vapor upon the jacket walls. My apparatus is further characterized by the provision of a two-speed drive mechanism for the inclosed perforate cylinder, whereby the same structurally considered, the dry may be driven at a low speed for washing, tumbling and the like, while in horizontal position, and driven at high speed while in vertical position, for extracting centrifugally the liquid solvent from the washed, rinsed and drained articles. '5 My apparatus is further characterized by the provision therein of means for circulating air through the main chamber of the housing, through the washing-cylinder, and through a self-contained condensing device by which solvent-fumes may 10 be reduced to liquid and removed from the air prior to re-circulation thereof. Further characteristics of my apparatus will be set forth in detail hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of apparatus embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, Fig. 3 is a transverse section, showing the housing and cylinder in vertical position, Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a detail end view 2 of the cylinder, showing the circulating vanes on the ends thereof.

In carrying out my invention according to the illustrated embodiment thereof, the main casing or housing 10 is of cylindrical form, and upon 5 diametrically opposite sides intermediate the ends thereof are aiiixed the trunnions II and It. The latter are mounted in bearings l3 formed in the upper portions of standards I of which the lower portions are aiiixed to and are rigidly 30' connected with each other by a flat base to. The trunnion Ii at the front side of the machine is extended through the bearing, and has aflixed thereto a gear it which is operatively engaged by a pinion I! mounted revolubly on a stud I8 35 carried by .the adjacent standard It. A crank I9 is associated with the pinion l1, whereby the same. may be rotated to actuate the gear l6, for turning the casing I ll from the horizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to the upright or 40.

vertical position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A looking-pin 20 is disposed slidably in the standard It near the stud I8, the inner end of said pin being engageable in openings therefor in a locking-quadrant 2| secured to the casing lfl at the 45 adjacent side thereof and extending about the trunnion-axis, as shown, whereby the casing is locked in said horizontal and vertical positions. Above one side of the base l5 are alined bars 22 of which the outer ends are secured to the standards I4 and the inner or adjacent ends are supported by short standards 23 mounted on the base. At their inner ends the upper edges of said bars 22 are concaved to form a rest or seat for the side of the housing ll when the latter is in 'position, not meshing with either of instance.

the horizontal position. on the sides of the bars 22 near the inner ends thereof are secured the brackets 24, which are shaped to form a stop or abutment for engaging the side of the housing It when the latter is in the vertical position.

A cupshaped jacket 25 has the rim thereof se-. cured to an intermediate portion of the cylindrical wall of the housing, and the annular end of the jacket has the inner edge portion thereof secured to the end of the housing, so that a jacket-space 26 is inclosed'at said end and about the adjoining side-wall of the housing, as best shown in Fig. 3. A pipe 21 extends through the rear trunnion |2 tocommunicate with said jacket-space 26 for supplying temperature-controlling fluids thereto, and a pipe 26 is connected with the jacket-space through the end of the housing, for the withdrawal of fluids from said space. In the side-wall of the housing, adjoining the unjacketed end thereof, a rectangular opening in said wall has a door-frame 29 secured about the same, and upon said frame is hinged the-door 30 which has a suitable fastener 3| for holding the same in closed position.

Suitable bearings 32 and 33 are mounted upon the circular ends of the housing at the centers thereof, and in said bearings the shaft 34 is journaled. Said shaft extends from the housing through the bearing 33 at the end which is uppermost when the housing is in the vertical position shown in Fig. 3, and upon the projecting portion of the shaft is secured the bevel gear 35. Meshing operatively'with said gear 35 is 'a bevel pinion 36, which is carried upon a counter-shaft 31 arranged parallel with the end of the housing as shown in Figs. land 2. The end of the counter-shaft 31 adjacent to the pinion 36 is supported in a bearing 36 carried upon the outer end of the shaft 34. The other end of the shaft 31 is squared or splined to flt slidably but nonrotatively within a sleeve 39 which is joumaled in a bearing 40 on a bracket 4| attached to the adjacent end of the housing Ill. Upon the end portion of the sleeve 33 which projects outwardly from the bearing 40, are carried a bevel gear 42 and a smaller bevel gear or pinion 43. Said bevel gears 42 and 43 are disposed oppositely, with their pitch-cones base-to-base, and the sleeve 39 is movable axially to dispose said gear 42 in mesh with a bevel gear 44, or to place the gear 43 in mesh with a bevel gear 45, or to dispose the gears 42 and 43 at an intermediate he gears 44 and 45. Axial movement of the sleeve 39 is efiected by a lever 46 having a forked end portion straddling a groove in the sleeve, said lever being fulcrumed on a bracket 41 which has a notched segment 46 for engagement with a latch-member to hold the lever in adjusted positions. The gear is carried on the outer end of the shaft 49 of an electric motor 56 which is mounted on the side of the housing ID, as shown. A gear 5| on the motor-shaft 49meshes operatively with a gear 52 which is connected fixedly with the bevel-gear 44, said gears 44 and being upon a stub-shaft which is carried by a box 53 on the end of the housing. The arrangement of the drive-gearing is such that the shaft 34 may be driven from the motor-shaft 49, either at high speed and directly, through the bevel gears -45 and 43, sleeve 39, shaft 31 and gears 36 and 35, or at a lower speed and indirectly,

through the gears 5| and 52, and the bevel gears 44 and 42 to the sleeve 36, thence as in the first Within the housing |6 there is mounted upon the shaft 34 the carrier or container for articles to be cleansed. Said carrier comprises a foraminous cylinder 54 having circular end-plates 55 on which at their centers arehub-pieces 55' ntting upon and secured to the shaft 34. Within the cylinder 54 a foraminous cylindrical sleeve 56 is disposed concentrically with the shaft, be-

ing spaced therefrom and supported byconical end-pieces 51 secured to the ends of the 'sleeve'io and to the end-plates 55 of the cylinder. Partition-plates 58, extending radially from the sleeve 56 to the cylinder 54, as best shown in Fig. 4, divide the space within the cylinder into separate compartments, to which access is afforded l5 severally, through rectangular openings in the sides of the cylinder 54, said openings being adapted to register with the door 30 of the housing, and being normally closed by longitudinally sliding doors 59 having suitable fastening means 20 60 for holding the same in closed position. On the end-plates 55, adjacent to the hub-pieces 55', annular series of louver-lugs 6| are turned out.- wardly from the end-plates to form blades or vanes adapted to impel fluids inwardly through 25 the conical end-pieces 51 to the spacebetween the shaft 34 and sleeve 56, during rotation of the cylinder.

At the side thereof which is uppermost when the housing is in the horizontal position shown 30% in Figs. 1 and 2, a blower-casing 62 is mounted fixedly thereon. An impeller 63 is inclosed by said casing, the impeller-shaft 64 extending though a bearing at the outer side of the casing, and upon the outer end of said shaft is secured 36 a miter-gear 65. A second miter-gear 66 meshes with said gear 65, being carried by a shaft 61 which is journalled in a standard 66 extending out from the adjacent side of the casing 62. A sheave or pulley 69 on the shaft 61 is driven by 40 a belt 10 from a similar sheave 1| on the motorshaft 49. The inlet of the blowercasing 62 is formed by an opening 12 in the side of the housing I6 adjoining the central part of the impeller 63, and at one side the casing 62 is extended to 5 form a tubular outlet or discharge conduit 13 which is connected with the adjacent end of the condenser-drum 14. The latter is mounted as shown, on the side of the housing ll by means of clamp-bands 15. A pipe 16 is connected with 5 one side of the drum 14 and extends through the head of the housing l6, inside of which a pipeportion 11 extends laterally, between and parallel with the ends of the housing and of the cylinder 54. A suitable valve 16 is provided for control- 55 ling flow of fluids through said pipe 16. Within the condenser-drum 14 is a coil 19, and, at the end which is uppermost when in the vertical position shown in Fig. 3, the coil is connected with a suitable flexible supply-pipe (not shown) for delivering fluid tothe coil. At the other or lower end of the coil 19 the same is connected with a pipe 80 extending across the end of the main housing and connecting with the pipe 23 which drains the jacket-space 26. From the junction of the pipes 26 and 36, a flexible tube 8| is extended to a suitable fitting 62 mountedon the base l5 and connected with a fixed drainpipe for the fluids to be passed through the coil 19 of the condenser and through the 70 jacket-space 26 of the main housing. The fitting 82 has also a connection for the drain or return of the solvent or cleaning fluid, there being a flexible tube 63 extending from the fitting to the adjacent corner of the housing, at which it is connected with pipes 44 and II, the latter extending to connect with the side of the housing beyond the jacketed portion thereof, the pipe 84 being connected with the end of the condenserdrum l4, and an intermediate portion of said pipe 44 having a branch connection 86 with the end of the housing between the bearing 32 and the adjacent annular edge of the jacket 25. The solvent or cleaning fluid is supplied to the housing through a pipe 81 connected with the rear trunnion l2, the latter having a tubular portion 88 communicating with said pipe 81 and extending along the side of the housing to the unjacketed portion thereof, where the passage enters the housing as shown in Fig. 4.

For indicating the existence and amount of fluid-pressure within the housing l there is provided a gage 85, connected as shown, and preferably also, there isa gage 90 connected with the jacket-space 26 and arranged conveniently for observation by the operator of the machine. On the end of the housing there is provided a gage-glass 9| which extends vertically when the ,showthe level of liquid in the housing.

housing. is in horizontal position, and serves to Above the gage-glass a relief-valve 92 is provided, the

same being adapted to be opened inwardly automatically by atmospheric pressure, should a partial vacuum be developed within the housing during the operation of the apparatus.

In the operation of the described apparatus, I preferably employ tri-chlor-ethylene as the solvent or cleansing fluid, although any of the known.

dry-cleaning solvents, including naphtha, may be used if desired. For, the removal of cleansed articles, and the insertion of articles to be cleansed, the housing is disposed in the horizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the door 30 is opened, the cylinder 54 turned to place successively each of the compartment-doors 59 in reglater with the housing-door 30, and while in registering position the compartment-door .is opened, the articles removed from or inserted into the respective compartment, and the door 59 closed. After the compartments in the cylinder have'been charged with articles to be cleansed, the housing-door 30 is closed and secured, and solvent is supplied to the inclosed chamber through the pipe 81 and tnmnion-extension 88, until the desiredliquid-level is shown in the gageglass-II. Power is. thenapplied to the cylindershaft 34 from the motor 50, through the lowspeed gears i 52, 44, and 42, as before described. Ordinarily, the liquid-level of the solvent will be not lower than the axis of the shaft 34, and the blades ii on the end-plates of the cylinder will cause impulsion of some of the liquid into the tubular foraminous sleeve 56, so as to pass therefrom outwardly through the cylinder-compartments, and thus maintain a definite flow of the solvent through the compartments and the ma- .terials therein, while the latter are agitated by the rotation of the cylinder. The charge of solvent in the housing may be drained oif intermittently and replaced by fresh charges, or a continuous flow of the solvent may be maintained by supplying fresh solvent constantly at the same rate at which it is withdrawn through the drain connections. After a suitable period of washing, or of washing and rinsing, the supply of solvent is stopped and substantially all of the liquid drainedfrom the housing. The latter is then turned up to the vertical position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the drive-gearing for the cylinder is shifted to the high-speed gears 43 and 45, so

that the cylinder 54 is rapidly rotated to extract centrifugally the liquid from the articles 0011- tained in the cylinder compartments, the extracted liquid falling to the bottom'of the housing and draining therefrom through the connection 86. Upon completion of the centrifugal ex- 5 tracting of the liquid, the drive-gearing is again shifted to the low-speed connections, and the housing is turned to the horizontal position, at which the rotation of the cylinder causes the articles to be tumbled within the cylinder-compartments. Also, by the rotation of the cylinder at this time and in this position, the blades or louver-lugs 6| are caused to impel air into the sleeve 58, whence it will flow out through the compartments and about the articles being agil5 tated therein, to facilitate the drying thereof. When working with ordinary fabrics or materials which will not be injured by mild heating'thereof, the drying of the material, by the evaporation of the solvent liquid remaining after the centrifugal extracting, may be greatly expedited by circulating through the jacket-space a heating fluid such as hot water. For furs'or other articles which are subject to injury by heating, cold water may be circulated through the jacket-space, and 25 in such case the inner wall of the jacket may, serve as a condenser-surface on which the sol vent-vapors may' condense to liquid and flow down the inside of the housing to the drain-pipe l5. Normally the recovery of the vaporized por- 80 tions of the solvent is effected in the condenserdrum' 14, to which the vapor-laden air from the housing is driven by the blower or impeller 63, the vapor being condensed on the coil is through which cold water is circulated, the condensed vapor or liquid draining from the drum through the pipe 84, and the air being returned to the housing through the pipe 16. The flow of air through the condenser-drum may be suitably controlled by the valve 18, so that the air re- 40 turned to the housing will be substantially freed from solvent-vapor, and ready to serve as a carrier for additional portions of vapor, upon further circulation. If at any time during the tum-- bling, drying, d fuming or aerating of the cleansed articles, a sub-atmospheric pressure occurs in the housing. air will be automatically admitted through the valve 92 to relieve the partial vacuum. Such a condition might be caused by condensationof the solvent vapor, and if not relieved would tend to prevent further condensation of the solvent by reason of the lowered pressure. I

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

-1. Dry-cleaning apparatus, comprising a housing, a perforate container mounted revolubly therein, a support on which said housing is mounted for movement to a position in which the container-axis vis vertical and to a position 50 in which said axis is horizontal, means for retaining the housing in said positions, variable-speed actuating means for said container, means for supplying liquid solvent to and draining the same from said housing, a condenser carried upon the housing, means for impelling vapor-laden air from the housing through said condenser and returning the air to the housing, and means for draining liquid solvent from said condenser.

2. In a dry-cleaning apparatus, a perforate container for the articles to be cleansed, means partitioning said container to form a plurality means for moving the housing to dispose the container-axis in a vertical and in a horizontal position, means forming a jacket-space about a part of the. walls of the housing, means for circulating temperature controlling fluid through' said jacket-space, means for supplyingliquid solvent to the housing and completely draining-the same therefrom at-any'position of the housing, and means for withdrawing vapor-laden air from the housing and returning dry air thereto.

3. A structure as set. forth in claim 2, wherein the means for withdrawing vapor-laden air and returning dry air to the housing comprise ablower carried upon the housing .and arranged to draw air from the housing, a condenser-drum carried on the housing and receiving air from the blower, an air return pipe from the condenserdrum to the housing, and means for draining Y condensed solvent from the condenser-drum.

-4. Dry-cleaning apparatus, comprising a housing, a perforate container mounted revolubly therein, a support on which said housing is mounted for movement to a position in which the container-axis is vertical and to a position in which said axis is horizontal, means for retaining the housing in said position, actuating means for said container, a condenser carried upon the housing, means for impelling vapor-laden air from the housing through said condenser and returning dry air to the housing in any position thereof, and means for draining liquid solvent moving said housing to dispose the container axis 1o, in a horizontal position or a vertical position, va-

riable-speed actuatingmeans connected with the container, and impelling-vanes carried by the container at the ends of the perforate sleeve and adapted to impel air into said sleeve during the 15:

rotation of. the container in its vertical position and when rotated" at relatively high speeds.

6.- In a dry-cleaning apparatus, the combination with'a housing, of a perforate container mounted rotatably therein, said container hav- 20 ing a perforate, axially extending sleeve, said container being adapted to be operated in a vertical position, and impelling-vanes carried by the container at each end of' the perforate sleeve adapted to impel air into said sleeve from both 5 ends of the container during the rotation thereof.

JESSE MCCREERY. 

